Haridwar

Haridwar

Haridwar(also known as Hardwar) is a holy city in the Haridwar District in the state of Uttaranchal in northern India. Literally meaning Gateway to God, Haridwar is considered one of the seven holiest places according to Hindus, as the devas are said to have left their footprints there.

The spot where the immortal nectar fell when it was carried in a Kumba after the famed churning of the oceans at the time of creation of the universe is known as Brahma Kund. Hindus all over the world flock to this place to have a holy dip to attain salvation from their sins of birth. The dusk arathi performed at Hari- Ki- Pairi (known for a footprint of Vishnu on a stone in a wall) is a spectacular sight full sound and colour. This is the second most holiest pilgrimage site after Varanasi for Hindus all over the globe. Here pilgrims float diyas on the Ganges, to commemorate their deceased ancestors. The city also stands as a gateway to three other important pilgrimage destinations: Rishikesh, Badrinath, and Kedarnath. In Haridwar there is a big statue of Shiva at the fork of the river.

Haridwar has a rich ancient religious and cultural heritage. In the ancient scriptures of India, this place is well known by the name of Mayapur. This city is also well known for many other things apart from the holy river Ganges. IIT at Roorkee, formerly known as University of Roorkee, founded in 1847 as a first technical institute of India, is located in Haridwar. The city has one of the "navratna PSUs of India" i.e BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electricals India Ltd.). The tomb Piran Kaliar of Shabir Shahib in Roorkee is a living example of religious harmony in India which is visited by the people of all religious sects from all over the world. There is another University in the city called Gurukul Kangri Vishva Vidyalaya apart from the head quarter of Uttaranchal State Public Service Commission also being established at Haridwar. Besides this, Kumbh fair is organized at the interval of every 12 years in this city in which about 1 crore pilgrims from all over the world participate.